Authors: Rebekah A. Lassiter, Jennifer Finkel.
COVID-19 has had profound mental health effects for young adults and college students. While individuals endure crisis situations through various management protocols, art viewing is a common coping mechanism. Some universities have public art displays, in highly trafficked areas. We examined perceptions and acknowledgments of on-campus art, as well as how these displays affect the coping, comfort, and wellbeing of students, particularly in the height of the pandemic. On a scale of one (art is never a form of comfort) to seven (art is always a form of comfort), 95.92% students felt that art was a four or above. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, 95.83% of students indicated a four or above (on a scale of one (strong negative effect) to seven (strong positive affect)), with most students selecting five or seven. More positively than negatively, students feel art is a form of comfort and affected their wellbeing during COVID-19.
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